Excise PMLA case: ED files chargesheet against AAP’s Sanjay Singh, his associate

New Delhi [India], December 2 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh and his alleged associate Sarvesh Mishra in a money laundering case related to the Excise policy case.

The Court has fixed December 4 for consideration and arguements on cognizance points on the chargesheet.

On October 4, AAP senior leader Sanjay Singh was arrested by the ED. Sanjay Singh is presently in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.

According to the ED, it’s a fifth supplementary chargesheet in the case. The chargesheet contains 60 pages of operatives pages and around 2500 pages of annexures. Sarvesh Mishra was earlier, questioned several times by the ED in the case.

Earlier, the ED told the court that Sanjay Singh was part of the conspiracy to collect kickbacks from liquor groups in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. Sanjay Singh allegedly had close relations with now approver Dinesh Arora who allegedly introduced accused Amit Arora to Sanjay Singh.

Dinesh Arora was in regular touch with Sanjay Singh. This has been proved by analysis of Call Detail Records. Singh allegedly received proceeds of crime of Rs 2 crores, stated the ED earlier.

The Special Court of Rouse Avenue Court also examined the bail petition of Sanjay Singh which is scheduled to come for hearing on December 6.

Recently, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on Sanjay Singh’s plea against the Delhi High Court order rejecting his plea challenging his remand and arrest in the alleged liquor irregularities case.

The Supreme Court also kept open for the petitioner to file for regular bail, if so advised and made it clear that shall be considered on its own merits in accordance with the law without being influenced by the impugned judgment.

ED earlier claimed that Singh and his associates played a part in the Delhi government’s decision to give licenses to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, causing losses to the state exchequer and violating anti-corruption laws.

The ED has previously searched a number of locations including the homes and offices of Sanjay Singh’s close associate Ajit Tyagi and other contractors and businessmen who allegedly benefited from the policy. In its nearly 270-page supplementary charge sheet, the ED has called Sisodia a key conspirator in the case.

The Delhi liquor scam case or the excise policy case pertains to allegations that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelization and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly refuted by the AAP.

The ED, last year filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency said it has so far undertaken over 200 search operations in this case after filing an FIR after taking cognizance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.

The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.